Improvement in burial-caskets



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. OWEN MOORE, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BURIAL-GASKETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,800, dated August 8, 1871 antedated August 2, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. OWEN MOORE, of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Burial- Casket; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of my burial-casket, showing it closed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the saine, showing it opened. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the saine taken on the plane of the line m an, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention has for its obj ect tomalre burialcaskets or coflins which will not inclose or boX up the corpse as long as the same is to be eX- posed, but will leave it entirely open to view from all sides, and which can be readily closed to form receptacles in which the'eorpse can be buried. The invention consists in hinging the sides and one of the ends of the coffin to the bottom of the same, and in hingin g the cover to the sides, so that sides, ends, and cover can be let down to about a level with or below the bot- J[om to fully expose the corpse in the latter. The corpse will then appear as lying on a sort of ornamental couch, producing thereby an effect far less gloomy and depressing than when partly boxed up ready for the grave.

A in the drawing represents the bottom of the coffin. B B are the side plates, and C C the end plates of the same. rlhe sides and the end O are hinged to the bottom near to the edges of the same, as is clearly indicated in the drawing, the style and the application of the hinges being of suitable kind. The cover D is made in one or two pieces, and is hinged to one or both of the side plates, preferably the latter, as in Fig. 3. The sides and end O of the coffin will be, when folded down, about level with the bottom and the cover rest on the sides, as in Figs. 2 and 3. The corpse, lying on a suitable cushion or mattress which is placed upon the bottom A, will be fully exposed to view while the parts are folded down, as aforesaid.

When the cofiin is to be closed the sides and ends are swung up and the cover folded off the sides, all as in Fig. l, suitable catches, a, being used to hold the parts together.

The disagreeable process of securing the lid down by means of screws is thus also avoided.

One end, C,of the casket maybe rigidly affixed to the bottom so that it will remain in an upright position to support the grillen.

' Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 'The ends C and O', sides B B,covers D l), and bottom A, connected and arranged to form an improved coffin, in the manner herein shown and described.

J. OWEN MOORE.

Witnesses:

GEO. BUTTS. WILLIAM UOLLIGAN. 

